Guilty pleasures – we all have them, and even more so, we all want to have them. I must admit that while I have many, perhaps the “sinful” indulgence that sits highest on my naughty list is my obsession with the now defunct television show, Sex and the City.

With the series having gone off the air in 2004, I am one of those completely unoriginal bandwagon-jumpers who latched onto the series when available in TBS rerun and DVD format only. It’s not that I didn’t know the series existed while airing on HBO, it’s that I originally chose not to watch it for moral reasons. Featuring episode titles such as “The F*** Buddy” and “Politically Erect,” as well as the guarantee to see a bare breast or two almost every episode, I decided the show was completely inappropriate for a young Christian female to watch.

This weekend, those of us taking Paul Rowe’s class in Globalization and Governance had the opportunity to experience a Model United Nations. Each of us adopted the role of an assigned country and met on Saturday morning to discuss the topic of “Peacebuilding,” with the intent of allocating an imaginary $100 million to the most deserving countries. As a firm believer in the potentiality of the United Nations to make a positive difference in the globe for the betterment of the developing nations, the whole experience was full of letdown, frustration, and disappointment in the international regime that I have been so intent on championing.

What does Simon Cowell have in common with Heather Mills? How are Pamela Anderson and Fall Out Boy similar? While these celebrities may be very different in terms of personality, they all agree on one thing: animals have rights.

In an interview, the usually cold-hearted Cowell said that he finds the fur trade disturbing, especially the way that dogs are skinned alive. This puts Cowell in alliance with hundreds of animal rights groups around the world. One of the taglines of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the activist group at the forefront of the animal rights movement, is that “Animals are not ours to use.”

What is “academia?” Perhaps the answer to this question may depend on who is being asked. One definition I found is, “the milieu or interests of a university, college, or academy.”

Within the context of my studies here at Trinity Western University I prefer a more specific definition, something along the lines of, “the realm where the life of the mind and that of the heart intersect.” It is with this personal definition in mind that I begin my confession.

Do arguments for truth have relevance for today’s culture? Does applying method to language through systematic frameworks legitimately persuade an individual, or is the intentional manipulation of language violate the integrity of truth and meaning?

It seems that truth can fluctuate according to its cultural climate. With the progression of time, language acquires new frameworks of meaning, constantly morphing: discarding superfluity and creating new expressions. Does this mean that truth also changes? The relationship between meaning and language remains a seemingly irreconcilable stalemate.

The debate over religion and free speech has erupted on YouTube. Nick Gisburne, an atheist on YouTube, recently published a video entitled “Islamic Teachings: Cruelty From the Qur’an.” YouTube staff took down the video, citing its “inappropriate nature,” and both of Gisburne’s YouTube accounts were permanently disabled.

This situation has provided an opportunity to examine the implications of “new media” for the old conflict between religious freedom and freedom of speech. It also shows us the need to articulate a space on the internet for the public good, and how in the absence of any real constitution, basic human decency can go a long way.

WINNIPEG (CUP) — The environmental sustainability of university campuses is becoming an important issue, and universities across the country are taking on a wide array of initiatives to achieve that goal. Recently, both major Saskatchewan universities announced projects that will go a long way toward reducing energy consumption on campus.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that globally, sustainability is the issue of this generation. And I believe that universities are a very logical starting point,” said Margret Asmuss, sustainability co-ordinator at the University of Saskatchewan. “We have a lot of influence . . . we have much of the best research capacity in the country, and so if universities can’t do it, nobody can.”

In the years before I came to Trinity Western University, I promised myself I would avoid student debt at all costs. This year I will break that promise.

In high school, I worked as much as possible and saved every dollar I could for my education. While this drive instilled the discipline necessary to achieve what I thought I needed, I have realized now that reaching that goal would cause me to shut down my dreams.